Apple & Cinnamon muffins

Can you smell the autumn? Nothing beats the fragrance of brown butter, cinnamon and baked apple. Well, maybe chocolate cake but that's for another day.

Ingredients:
1 cup self raising flour
½ cup almond meal
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ginger, ground
½ tsp nutmeg, ground
½ tsp cardamom, ground
140gr unsalted butter, browned
⅓ cup caster sugar
⅓ cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 eggs
1 large apple, grated

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 180°C.
1.) Place the butter in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the milk solids start to turn brown on the bottom of the pan and smells nutty. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
2.) In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, almond meal, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cardamom.
3.) In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, maple syrup, eggs and vanilla bean.
4.) Add the cooled brown butter and stir until combined.
5.) Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until combined.
6.) Fold in the apple.
7.) Spoon the batter into lined muffin cases and bake for 15 minutes or until golden and cooked.

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

Pumpkin, one of my favourite varieties of winter squash, is rich in potassium, fiber, and vitamin C and is wonderful roasted, used in soups or stews, or mixed with other vegetables. I roasted cubes of pumpkin for this salad and mixed it with peppery arugula greens, which I then dressed with a light maple syrup kissed light vinaigrette.

Ingredients
1 1/2-pound butternut squash, peeled and 3/4-inch diced
good olive oil
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dried cranberries
3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 ounces baby arugula, washed and spun dry
1/2 cup walnuts halves, toasted
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preparations:
1.) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2.) Place the butternut squash on a sheet pan. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the maple syrup, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss.
3.) Roast the squash for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until tender.
4.) Add the cranberries to the pan for the last 5 minutes.
5.) While the squash is roasting, combine the apple cider, vinegar, and shallots in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the cider is reduced to about 1/4 cup.
6.) Off the heat, whisk in the mustard, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
7.) Place the arugula in a large salad bowl and add the roasted squash mixture, the walnuts, and the grated Parmesan. Spoon just enough vinaigrette over the salad to moisten and toss well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Maple-Glazed Chicken

Looking for a healthy, easy dish on a cold winter Sunday night, maple-glazed chicken sounded delicious.... and it was.

Ingredients:
2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
2 apples (1 red, 1 green), cored, cut into wedges
8 medium shallots, quartered lengthwise
1/4 cup fresh sage, chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
salt
2 tbl olive oil

Preparation:

1.) Pat the chicken dry and season with salt. 

2.) Heat a large heavy skillet over high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken skin-side down and cook until the skin is browned and crisp, about 5 minutes.

3.) Turn the chicken and add the apples, shallots and sage to the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium high and cook until the chicken is browned on the bottom, 4 to 5 minutes.

4.) Transfer the chicken to a plate and continue to cook the apples and shallots, stirring, until golden, about 2 more minutes. 

5.) To prepare the glaze, mix the chicken broth, maple syrup, vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.

6.) Add the mixture to the skillet with the apples and shallots and boil until reduced by about three-quarters, 2 to 3 minutes. 

7.) Return the chicken to the skillet, turning to coat, until cooked through, about 2 more minutes.

Maple-Roasted Turkey with sage

Over the years the following recipes have proven to be my absolute favourite. Go ahead and experiment yourself!

Ingredients:
1 sticks unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/4 bunch fresh sage, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (12 to 14-pound) fresh turkey, giblets, neck, and liver discarded
8 strips bacon
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons hot water or bouillon


Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 320 degrees F and remove the top rack of the oven.
Put the butter and sage in a mixing bowl and mash with a fork or spoon until the sage is well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.
Rinse the bird thoroughly inside and out with cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the cavity and skin liberally with salt and pepper. Using your fingers, gently lift the skin from the turkey breast and slip the remaining seasoned butter under, massaging the breast meat as you go. Truss the bird by crossing the legs over one another and tying with a piece of kitchen twine. Shingle the bacon strips over the breast so it's totally covered. Put the turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan, cover the turkey with aluminium foil, and place in the oven.
In a small bowl, stir the maple syrup with 2 tablespoons of hot water to thin. Roast the turkey for 2 hours, basting with the maple glaze every 30 minutes. Continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meaty part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F. The thigh juices will run clear when pricked with a knife, about 4 hours total (20 minutes per pound). About 1/2 hour before you think the turkey is done, remove the foil so that it can brown.
When done take the turkey out of the oven and put the roasting pan on the stovetop. Transfer the turkey to a serving tray to rest at least 20 minutes before carving.

Serve with Turkey Gravy. Click here for the recipe.